Man-made Men
by fluffybluff
Summary: Kamiya Kaoru, a successful careerwoman, has to have the first class taste in everything, even when choosing a guy. Enter the Janitor Himura Kenshin, a nice, polite guy who leads a carefree life. Feelings sparked, flaming attractions... but he's not what she wanted, right?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: RK ISNT MINE hoho.

A/N: I have posted this story before but it got deleted over a stupid incident haha... Anyway it's such a waste to not continue this story, so I decided to post it again. The title used to be "His Role" but I want to give it a better (at least not half assed) title but I suck at giving titles. Seriously, if any of you have a better title please write it on your review. Super desperate for a good title here. Haha. You can expect at least 8-10 chapters ready for this story, so hopefully it won't take too long for me to update. I hope you enjoy this story, don't forget to review :)

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Man-made Men

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Kamiya Kaoru was indeed an epitome of perfection, a breathtaking beauty wrapped in intelligence and attitude, topped with a brilliant career, wealth and extraordinary achievements at her young age. She was a stunning model back in Japan, but when people told her that she couldn't be an international model because of her height, she decided that she would at least work in a place where she could watch the growth of fashion industry closely, for her love of fashion was the reason why she modelled in the first place.

She graduated from one of the best universities in Japan, moved to New York and worked her way to the top. By the time she was 27, she became one of the prominent names handling dozens of successful high end fashion brands from all over the world. She was a formulated success; not only she knew the trends, the marketing strategies and the right people to approach, she was also knowledgeable about the production, from the finest embellishments, fabrics, and materials to the secrets of handmaking all of fashion world's finest products. From her clothes, the car she drove, the parties she attended, she was known to have a first class taste in everything.

Well, almost.

That day she was forced to sit at McDonald's and pushed some soggy fries down into her throat while watching her boyfriend of 6 months fidgeting in front of her. She flinched as she swallowed the fries, not because she hated it, but because those soggy fries and fatty burger reminded her of how she struggled the first time she came to New York and the only thing she could afford was some cheap junkfood. Some days she couldn't even afford a burger, just the fries that she washed down with a glass of tap water. Kaoru sighed and gobbled up her coke to wash away the taste of the oil, and then she looked at her boyfriend and frowned.

"What's wrong, Houri-kun?" Houri-kun looked up and faced her with a nervous face.

"Uh, Kaoru-chan… I don't think it's good for us to be together anymore." He mumbled. Kaoru's eyes widened. Uh oh, another one. She never seemed to be able to get her hands on the right guy.

"Why? Why are we not good together?" She asked slowly.

"It's not that we're not good… But you know how it is... We live in New York, but we're still Japanese... You know how people talk when women are... career driven. I don't think it's bad, but family, society... they are not ready to accept a woman who is very career driven. It has to be the men who make the money." He explained in a rather roundabout way, but Kaoru understood what he was trying to tell her. It was an absurd excuse, yet she heard the same excuse over and over again, only from different men in different versions every time.

"You're intimidated by me." She concluded harshly, too tired to sugarcoat her words, and Houri looked up, frowning as if wanting to disagree but couldn't. That was their reality.

"It's my fault… I thought that I was going to advance faster in my career, but I'm stuck in the same position for nearly four years, while you have advanced so fast. I mean, last year when you first move into our office, we were in the same management level, but in one year, you have advanced much faster than I have… and now you are my boss! I am 32 years old now, I have to get married soon, Kaoru-chan, but I can't marry you… I'm not good enough for you, and you can find a much better person than me…" He desperately tried to justify his actions. Kaoru glared at him suspiciously.

"So, who are you going to marry then?" She asked.

"Uh…"

Kaoru remembered that beside her, there were only two other Japanese women working in the office. Komagata Yumi, who, albeit her shallow disposition, was a smart and resourceful woman. She managed to climb to the top through her great networking, and guys especially loved her. There was also a Nakamura, the girl who operated the photocopy and fax machines for the entire offices. Even though the suspicion seemed a bit narrow minded, Kaoru couldn't help but asked.

"Is it Nakamura-san?"

"…"

"She's the one you're going to marry, isn't she? You can't marry me, but you can marry her? Am I lacking in something compared to her?"

"Kaoru-chan…"

"Sure, she can operate the photocopy machines and send fax and circulate some emails, but come on! Dumping me, for HER?!"

"Kaoru-chan, she's pregnant with my child…"

Kaoru's throat suddenly became dry. Of course it wasn't a sudden decision for him. He had been with that girl for awhile, and she could have known that if she wasn't too busy preparing for the next season. She shook her head, took her bag and was about to leave when Houri-kun called her again.

"Ano, Kaoru-chan…" His voice was trembling, and Kaoru stopped her step. "Please don't fire me…" He begged quietly. This time, Kaoru turned around and looked at him

"Well I can't do that, can I?" She said rather monotonously. "I had hoped you would spare me the pain of seeing you everyday and find another job, but you didn't intend to do that, did you?" Her voice faded as she turned around and left.

OOOOO

Kaoru drove a little bit too fast than she usually was. _A bar_ , she thought. Any bar would do. She just wanted to drink until a little below the alcohol poisoning standard and then probably went home with anyone who was willing to take care of her for the night.

Kaoru parked her car in front of the first bar she saw and entered the place. It was quite a cozy bar, with big windows where you could see the never ending New York traffic, wooden floors, warm coloured walls, and some vintage posters on it. A gramophone was playing some jazz music and there were only two other customers in the bar, drinking and talking quietly in the furthest corner. The bar area was empty and the bartender wasn't there, but Kaoru decided to sit on the bar stool and waited. After awhile, a guy popped out from behind the bar.

"Yes, I'd like some…" Kaoru stopped. The bartender was cute. He had a long, dark red hair with the softest amethyst eyes Kaoru had ever seen. Well, it wasn't like she had seen anyone with purple eyes before. His well carved face was very friendly and he had the sweetest smile. Yet, with all of the sugary sweetness, he was still managed to look sexy. The white, worn out tee he wore that were his equally well-carved body, plus the scar on his cheek which added a contrast on his cute face played a role in making him looked both adorable and hot.

"Miss?" He asked gently with a smile.

"Ah, sorry… Gin and tonic?" Kaoru's mind went blank a little. What was she saying? She didn't even like gin and tonic. The bartender smiled and prepared the drink.

Kaoru sighed. Her taste in guys was never really that good. She was always attracted to these kinds of guys. Cute guys who could never surpass her in both wealth and career. It was always her secretary, her assistant, some nameless model she met in the show, her subordinate, an unemployed guy she met at a party, and now, a hot, thin t-shirt-wearing bartender who worked in a small bar.

She didn't really care about the money or the status. She didn't especially look for someone superior or inferior to her in the two aspects. It was always the guys who, at the end, blamed her success for the failures of their relationships. She mentally cursed herself, thinking about her tendency of choosing guys with inferior complex.

 _A bartender is good,_ Kaoru thought to herself. _And it's not like I want a relationship._ Kaoru assured herself and told herself that it was okay to make a move on him. Meanwhile, the bartender was smiling at her while giving her the drink.

"I hope you like it miss. To be honest, I'm not a bartender. I'm just a janitor. But don't worry, because sometimes I would help the bartender to make some drinks when the bar is packed. Taste shouldn't be a problem, and I did clean my hands before touching your drink." He said lightly while taking out his mop and started mopping. Kaoru's expression darkened as she mentally berated herself. He was a janitor? She was attracted to a janitor?

"So, janitor, what's your name?" Kaoru asked.

"Ah… It's Himura Kenshin, Miss…" Kenshin answered.

"Kenshin, give me that bottle." Kaoru ordered, pointing at a bottle of vodka. Kenshin gulped.

"Miss, I can fix the drink for you of you like, but I don't think it's a good idea to…"

"GIVE ME THE DAMN BOTTLE!" Kaoru screamed in frustration. Kenshin jumped and took the bottle, along with a glass. Kaoru ignored the glass and started drinking directly from the bottle as Kenshin looked at her in horror. She drank almost half a bottle in one go and sighed loudly, satisfied.

"Ano, Miss, are you okay?" Kenshin asked. Kaoru giggled. She was a tough drinker, so she wasn't drunk yet, but the alcohol had relaxed her system.

"So Kenshin, tell me… Do you like janitoring?" She asked in a serious voice.

"Janitoring…? Ah, yeah, I like cleaning…" Kenshin answered, a little confused. Kaoru giggled again.

"So, are you going to 'clean' for the rest of your life?"

"Well, I don't think so…" Kenshin muttered. He came out of the bar and sat beside her. He put a big chunk of ice into the glass, took her bottle and poured the vodka into the glass, diluted it with water and gave the glass to her. "…Here, if you want to drink…" Kaoru smiled, her face was a little red.

"I love my job, you know. I love fashion, and I am good at those stuff. I picked the best models, I arranged the best fashion shows, and I carefully selected the best clothes for the collections myself. I'm good at what I do." Kaoru blabbered. Kenshin smiled.

"Of course you are." He assured her. She smiled and sighed.

"Will you marry me?" She asked. Kenshin frowned.

"Are you proposing?" He asked back. Kaoru giggled and smacked him.

"No, silly! People said I can't marry some janitor… I have to marry other people who have the newest BMW and live in a mansion… You don't have those, by any chance, do you, Kenshin?" She asked. Kenshin laughed.

"No, I don't, Miss."

"Stop calling me Miss. My name is Kaoru."

"Okay, Kaoru."

"Do you like Japan, Kenshin?"

"Yeah, I came from Kyoto." Kenshin said. Kaoru gasped.

"Japanese! With that hair and those eyes and those clothes I can't believe that you're Japanese! Japanese has black hair and black eyes and yukata…" Kaoru trailed off, taking another gulp of her diluted vodka. Kenshin chuckled.

"Well, the colourings are natural." Kenshin confessed. Kaoru snorted.

"Ah, you lied. This is only our first meeting, and you've already lied to me." Kaoru said. Kenshin frowned.

"What…?" Kenshin muttered, confused. Kaoru had stopped blabbing in English. She had finished her vodka bottle and took a few bottles of beers from the nearest pantry behind the bar, the only place that she could reach without moving her butt from the seat. She drank more and was slurring in Japanese.

"Ne, Kenshin, as a woman, how can I be worthy if I don't get married? I'm 27, you know… When I was younger, people were asking me about my job. When would I get a promotion, when would I get a higher pay… Now they don't seem to care about it anymore. They were asking me about marriage, and family, kids… Suitable husband…" Kaoru mumbled. She dropped her head on the table and sighed. Kenshin smiled patiently.

"I think someone's worth can't be measured by those kinds of things. You know, like, your career, your marriage…"

"That's because your job sucks!" Kaoru replied and giggled, while opening another bottle of beer. Kenshin sighed and took a bottle of beer for himself, when finally the bartender came in from the back door with a grin on his face.

"Oh, Kenshin, so you finally get a girl?" He asked, scratching his spiky hair while letting out a mischievous chuckle from the back of his throat. Kenshin frowned at him.

"Where were you, Sano? You were supposed to be here, making the drinks!" He said. Sano grinned.

"It's a slow night tonight, so it doesn't really matter if I'm here or not! I'm not like you; you can entertain yourself by mopping and cleaning this dusty bar and man I do NOT want to go anywhere near that filthy mop of yours!" He retorted, looking at Kenshin's mop, before his gaze moved towards Kaoru. "Anyways, are you trying to get her drunk and take her home? Man, you've stooped so low!" Sano continued while snickering evilly. Kenshin sighed with a displeased frown.

"Don't be silly. She came and finished a bottle of vodka in one gulp, and then she started mocking my job, and… God, Miss! Careful!" Kaoru fell from the chair, but Kenshin caught her before she landed face first on the floor.

"I wanna pee." She said with a sleepy voice. Sano laughed while Kenshin took her to the bathroom. He waited outside and soon she came out, wobbling around and sat on the bar stool again. She didn't seem as drunk as before, but still quite intoxicated. She looked at Sano. "… Ah, Tori Atama! Get me some tequila shots!" She shouted happily and Sano grinned.

"Sure, Jou-chan, coming right up."

"SANO!" Kenshin screamed. Sano grinned.

"What? It's not everyday that a rich Ojou-san would come and waste her money here! We'll just have to make sure that she's a big tipper." Sano said while preparing the tequila shots. As soon as Sano finished preparing it, Kaoru gulped them one by one until eight shots were finished. Sano laughed in amusement, while Kenshin looked at her in horror. How could a small body hold such a large amount of alcohol?

After the tenth shot, Kaoru went green. Kenshin dragged her into the toilet to throw up; he just didn't like cleaning up someone's puke. He glared at Sano.

"She's driving back home, you know. She could get alcohol poisoning too!" Kenshin said. Sano grinned.

"Well, take her home then! She'll pass out in no time anyway." Sano suggested.

"I'm going to try and sober her up." Kenshin said stubbornly. She took Kaoru out from the back door and made her sit on one of the old chairs. After awhile, Kaoru didn't look too bad anymore, even though she was still hyper.

"I'm alright, Kenshin. I can drive home… To…" Kaoru stopped her words and gulped because she didn't remember her address. Kenshin sighed.

"I'm going to take you home with me." He said. Kaoru giggled.

"Are you going to take care of me?" She asked with a baby voice. Kenshin flashed a smile because she just sounded so cute, like a puppy or something.

"Sure."

"Are you gonna take care of me real good? I like it good…" Her voice changed from the cutesy baby voice to a low seductive one and her lips curved into a sexy smile. Kenshin was caught off guard.

"Oro?"

Kaoru jumped on Kenshin and kissed him fully on the mouth. A zap of sour, awful taste came into his mouth, but disappeared as soon as it came. Kenshin sighed as he tried to move away, but stopped as Kaoru sucked his bottom lips and he found out that he liked whatever she was doing to him. Kaoru pushed them and he fell on one of the old chairs while she climbed on top of his lap. His left hand pressed Kaoru's body towards his so that she didn't fall from the chair, while his right hand was holding her head as he reluctantly decided to deepen the kiss.

"See? It's a good evening for all of us." Sano interrupted with a big grin. Kenshin broke the kiss and looked at Sano, confused, while Kaoru was kissing his jawline and neck.

"I think I'm drunk as well." He said, almost out of breath. Sano laughed while looking at Kaoru trying to unbutton Kenshin's jeans.

"Seriously, Kenshin. Take her home."

"I can't. I'm not even sure whether I can stop her from licking me…"

"Then just do it here. See, she's taking your pee-pee out. Well, good night, Kenshin." Sano went back in and locked the door. Kenshin sighed as he moved Kaoru to another chair. He stood up and buttoned up his jeans properly before looking at Kaoru with troubled face.

"I don't even know how I can take you home with my bicycle." Kenshin muttered.

"Bicycle?" Kaoru asked innocently. "… Man, you're so poor…" She continued with a big giggle.

OOOOO

In the morning, Kenshin was about to pour himself a cup of coffee when he heard a noise from his bed. It was Kaoru, whose groan sounded dry and hoarse. She was moving around uncomfortably before giving up and stayed still on the bed. It seemed that she couldn't get herself up because of her headache, so Kenshin got her a glass of cool water and some painkiller. After a glass of water and two tablets of painkillers, she seemed to finally get a better idea about where she was and what happened to her.

"Ah..." She looked at Kenshin, trying hard to remember him.

"I'm Kenshin, the janitor from last night…"

"Right, Kenshin… I remember you…" She looked around idly before gasping in horror. "Oh my GOD! Did I say anything offensive? I seriously didn't mean anything I said!" She said frantically with a panicked face. Kenshin frowned and then smiled. He was expecting something like 'what did we do last night?' or 'did we do it last night?' Instead, she was asking him a completely different question.

"No, I don't remember being offended by you. Don't worry, Kaoru-san."

"Ah… I see. Good, then. I sometimes say hurtful things when I'm drunk." Kaoru sighed and smiled. Kenshin looked at her, waiting for her to say something else. She didn't say anything anymore. She looked pretty relaxed in his shabby t-shirt and boxer.

"Aren't you gonna ask about last night? What did we do and stuff? Aren't you wondering why you're wearing my clothes?" Kenshin asked. Kaoru smiled lazily and waved her hand, as if saying everything wasn't a big deal.

"I probably slept with you and it was probably not the best lay you've ever had. I probably smelled and tasted like puke and I gave out some annoying remarks but you went for it anyway. And now in the morning you feel like getting rid of me as soon as possible because you have to go to work and I have to go to work and you can't stand being with me anymore…" She talked so fast, as if to hide her embarrassment. Kenshin laughed.

"Wow, you're talkative for someone who has such a heavy hangover." Kenshin said. Kaoru smiled tiredly.

"Thank you for taking care of me." She muttered.

"No worries. I still think that I'm obliged to tell you that you didn't taste weird, and I didn't sleep with you even though we did kiss a little. I changed your clothes, and I like your company when you're decent in the morning, which means that I am not trying to get rid of you." Kenshin assured her.

"Aren't you such a charmer." Kaoru giggled.

"So, do you want some breakfast? I can make some food if you like." He asked politely, and Kaoru shook her head.

"I hope I can stay for breakfast, but I have to work soon. I can't believe that I actually forgot about this morning's presentation. Same old presentation." She said with a lazy sigh. Kenshin stood up.

"Don't go yet. It's still early. I have coffee in the kitchen and some fresh clothes that you can wear. I'm actually washing your shirt because it was filled with your vomit. I'll run downstairs and get some food, in the meantime you can use the shower." Kenshin said sweetly. Kaoru nodded and looked around. It was the tiniest studio apartment she had ever seen. There was one small kitchen, one futon, small TV, small, run down cupboard, and another partition which was actually a toilet and shower. As soon as Kenshin left, she took off Kenshin's clothes and stepped into the shower.

Kaoru was a bit worried about the clothes. She was always trying to keep her appearances in front of her clients and colleagues. She couldn't go to the presentation wearing Kenshin's old t-shirt she wore last night. After showering, she ransacked the cupboard and was kind of panicking since most of the clothes were t shirts, jeans, shorts and jackets... Some of them were freebies from some promotions or, Kaoru suspected, from the charity centre. After a minute of going through his stuff, she finally found a suspicious plastic bag shoved into the cupboard.

"Shit." Kaoru couldn't help but cursed when she saw the plastic bag. Inside the bag there were one brown Hugo Boss jacket, a pair of couture Armani suit and dress pants. The highlight was a dark blue limited edition shirt that came out six years ago. The shirt was a work of art for those who knew fashion and its craftsmanship, and it was the most wanted and the most valuable collector's item to date. They were the original items, Kaoru's eyes and hands could recognize real quality right away since she was dealing with these stuff everyday. What kind of janitor could afford brand name clothes? Right when she was about to put everything back in the place, Kenshin came in.

"I'm sure you like those." He said with a big grin. Kaoru looked at him with a rather nervous smile.

"Yeah. The blue shirt is… Well, no offense, more expensive than your one-year rent…" She said. Kenshin's eyes widened.

"No way…"

"Yeah… It's a collector's item."

"Those clothes were given to me. But man, crazy things that people do when they're obsessed. I mean, it's not like that shirt is made from diamond or something." Kenshin commented and Kaoru looked at him with a frown.

"Well, for your information, the fabric is a type of rare, special silk which are hard to produce and the thread they used to sew it together is basically a diamond. The substances they used to make the thread are similar to those in a diamond." Kaoru said defensively, a little annoyed by the fact that Kenshin couldn't appreciate the shirt. Kenshin grinned and took the shirt from the plastic bag, and gave it to Kaoru.

"Even though I don't really understand, but I guess you can wear this. It's quite small and it will fit you just fine." Kenshin offered. Kaoru took the shirt reluctantly. The shirt was in a good condition, and even though it would look a little loose, it went nicely with her pencil skirt. Besides, it's not like she had a time to go home and change, and her shirt was still wet because she threw up on it and Kenshin was kind enough to wash it for her.

"Thanks… I will return it soon…" Kaoru said. Kenshin smiled.

"Right, then just leave your shirt behind, I will dry it for you."

"You can't use dryer for that, you have to…"

"I know, I am known as a laundry expert. Don't worry." Kenshin cut her words. Kaoru smiled apologetically.

"I seriously owe you one, Kenshin." Kenshin laughed and folded the futon bed and took out a small folded table. Apparently that was the dining table. After having some chicken sandwiches and two cups of coffee for breakfast, Kenshin took her to the bar with a bicycle because Kaoru's car was still there in the parking lot. Kaoru smiled and bowed.

"Thank you, Kenshin. I'll come back tomorrow."

Kenshin waved as Kaoru's car disappeared on the other side of the road.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: RK isn't mine.

A/N: Thank you so much for the nice replies from the first chapter, and thanks penelopi for pointing some stuff up, it's been awhile since I write anything in English, and fanfiction is actually a writing practice for me. I just hope that I can have more time to update all of my fics and write more :) In the meantime I hope you enjoy this chapter as well, and don't forget to review!

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Man-made Men

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Kaoru always had an 'emergency kit' in her car, a bag filled with anything she needed after a night filled with parties. When she arrived at the office building, she parked her car in an invisible corner, jumped in to the back seat and took out a large silver-coloured plastic box from under her car seat. Inside there was two bottles of perfume (Chanel No. 5 for normal use, and Estee Lauder White Linen for when she got a hangover and couldn't stand strong perfume smell), some makeup kit, hairspray, bobby pin, lotion, moisturizer, Evian spray for her face, and even a bottle of painkiller. Kaoru sighed in comfort as she sprayed her face with the waterspray and then started her morning routine just like when she was at home, appying some moisturiser, light makeup, combing her hair and tying it up into a high ponytail. She sprayed her White Linen perfume and was ready to go.

She never had a problem getting ready in any kinds of situation. She always managed to look good even after a whole night of messy parties. For some reason, today everyone was looking at her when she entered the office area. Their greetings were reluctant and their eyes stared at her with a strange look. Kaoru gulped. Was it her shirt? It was baggier than how she imagined it would be, but she thought it looked fine in front of Kenshin's mirror. Was it her make up? Was it her perfume?

Kaoru quickly reached her office and dropped herself on the chair. She was about to turn on the computer and get ready for the presentation when something pink attracted her attention.

Oh? A pink envelope?

Kaoru opened it and felt her heart skipped a beat.

 _Wedding Invitation_

 _Sagawa Houri & Nakamura Chika_

Those weren't strange stares. Those were pity stares.

"Hey Kaoru." A beautiful girl came into her office without knocking. Her green eyes stared at Kaoru with an evil glint and her hand fixed her dark hair. Kaoru rolled her eyes and forced a smile. Great, the other acomplished Japanese girl in the office was here. Now her annoying morning is complete.

"Hey Yumi."

"Do you know that your boyfriend is getting married with the photocopy lady?" She asked, lifting her eyebrows.

"Yeah. So?" Kaoru asked back nonchalantly, trying hard to look busy with her mundane tasks like turning on her computer and tidying up her table. Yumi shook her head with a pity look, and then sat on Kaoru's table.

"Kaoru dear, this wouldn't happen if you accepted my invitation last time. You would've met a guy who's richer than you and can tolerate your attitude." She said, and Kaoru scoffed. Yumi smiled a victory smirk as she squeezed Kaoru's shoulder. "Anyhoo, I'm actually here to invite you for a cruise in my boyfriend's yacht. You know, the one who owns a steel factory in Japan. I personally think that cruising is the best way to cure a broken heart." She offered sweetly, even though Kaoru couldn't help but saw a condescending sparkle in her eyes, as if pitying her. Kaoru frowned. Last time she went to a party with her, Yumi humiliated her on purpose to make herself looked good.

It was inevitable that they both tried to bring each other down. Yumi was the only Asian woman rising to power in the company until after Kaoru came and took over her opportunities. They were so similar, other than the fact that Yumi was born there and didn't even speak Japanese while Kaoru had lived in Japan her whole life and was struggling to speak English the first time she arrived in New York. The similarities honed their competitive instinct and they had been rivals even in trivial matters for as long as they have known each other.

"I'm not broken hearted." Kaoru retorted and Yumi laughed cynically.

"Come on, dear. I saw your bridal magazines. You thought that he was going to marry you, right?" She said it in a lightest way possible, making Kaoru looked stupid. Kaoru did buy some bridal magazine, thinking that her relationship with Houri would last longer than this.

"I am working in fashion industry. Why can't I look at bridal fashion trends without being accused of... that...?" She asked, a little annoyed, and Yumi chuckled.

"Oh right! Silly me for thinking that way! The fact that you were planning to go home this Christmas after a long time doesn't indicate anything right? Everyone thought the iron woman who never used any of her day offs would only go home to take care of something as important as marriage." Yumi said. "I may never live in Japan, but I thought I know a thing or two about Japanese people and their tendencies..." She said with a pretend concern in her voice. Kaoru blushed. She did plan to go back to Japan this Christmas, in hope that Houri would take her to meet his parents.

"It wasn't for him!" Kaoru said defensively and Yumi gasped.

"Oh no, don't tell me you have someone else in mind? Someone from the office? Or one of the models?" She asked. Kaoru swallowed, mentally berating herself for falling into Yumi's trap.

"No… I mean…" Kaoru stammered, not knowing what more to say. Unfortunately Yumi caught the hint of nervousness and inarticulateness and decided to annoy her a little longer.

"Come on, Kaoru. We wouldn't want to get you hurt again, would we? Tell me about this lucky guy. Is he my secretary? The newcomer model we hired yesterday? Or the new security guy downstairs?" She asked with an obvious victory face while Kaoru turned red.

"No! What I mean is…" Kaoru tried to say something with an annoyed face, but Yumi cut her with a loud, exaggerated gasp. Yumi went closer and examined her shirt.

"Is that… The legendary shirt? The one that came out six years ago?I didn't pay attention earlier, but... Oh my god, is this real? Don't tell me that this is your new boyfriend's!" She exclaimed, touching the small innitials on the shirt. Kaoru shook her head.

"Mou! Listen to me!" Kaoru said in frustration. She was about to start explaining when a guy knocked on the door.

"Come on, everyone's waiting."

"Mou!" Kaoru said, frustrated. Yumi giggled and left the room, leaving Kaoru to prepare for the meeting.

OOOOO

Apparently Yumi really took her own imagination seriously (well, she probably just wanted to mess with Kaoru). During the meeting, she joined in and deliberately distributing Houri's wedding invitation to everyone in the meeting room. Having heard the news, each person opened the invitation awkwardly while stealing glances at Kaoru, making her uncomfortable.

That was when she decided to "save the day" by telling everyone that Kaoru had a new boyfriend, a rich Japanese businessman who stayed in New York for a business. Everyone looked relieved and the Boss told Kaoru to bring her "boyfriend" to the company's birthday dinner. Kaoru thought that he was going to forget it after the meeting, but then at night when she got home, her Boss' secretary called her to ask for the boyfriend's name to put into the invitation list and wouldn't hang up before getting the answer. At the end, Kaoru gave up and told her that she would give a name on Monday after she confirmed everything with her "boyfriend".

She went home with a heavy heart, ended up driving around the congested roads of the city instead of going straight home. A few turns in some unknown streets and suddenly she ended up where she was last night. She sighed and parked her car in front of the bar.

It was Friday night but the bar was still quiet. When she entered the bar she immediately saw Kenshin who was mopping a stain in one corner, while the bartender was on the phone. The two guys looked at Kaoru and smiled. Kaoru bowed a little and then took a seat on the barstool close to the bartender, who hung up as soon as she sat.

"One diet coke, please." She said, and the bartender laughed.

"Jou-chan, you don't need no diet coke! You're skinny enough!" He said rudely.

"Well, it's okay, I want to stay skinny." Kaoru replied with a grin. He popped open a can, prepared a tall glass and poured the coke inside the glass.

"So, the name's Sano, Kenshin's friend. How was last night?" Kaoru blushed and Kenshin looked up. He stopped mopping the floor and looked at Sano.

"I told you, we didn't do anything." He said, and Sano sniggered.

"I can't believe it, considering that you guys were all hot and steamy near the dumpster." He said with a mischivous smile and Kaoru covered her cheeks, which felt unusually hot. Kenshin shook his head and looked at Kaoru.

"I'm sorry, Kaoru-san, your clothes are dry but I left it at home." Kenshin said, leaning the mop onto the wall and approached Kaoru.

"Oh, it's okay! I mean, you don't even have to wash it for me but you did so..." She said, before trailing off and then looked at the two guys. They were really good looking. Sano looked like one of those rugged model she met for a sportswear campaign while Kenshin was one of those more delicate looking ones who would easily booked a high-end designer's editorial campaign job. One of those models with suits on a yacht. Speaking of yacht...

"Wait. I have an idea." She suddenly said, and both Kenshin and Sano looked at her, a little confused.

"Yes?" Kenshin asked, and Kaoru blushed, realizing that she said it out loud.

"No... This is crazy..." Kaoru put her hands on her cheek and shook her head. She then looked up and looked at Sano and Kenshin again. "Unless... No, I'm going crazy!" She slumped on her chair, closing her face with her hands.

"Can... any of us help you with something?" Kenshin asked again, and Kaoru sighed.

"Well, this is stupid, but I have a situation here..." Kaoru murmured.

"Situation?" He asked and Kaoru told him everything, started from the Houri problem to what happened with her and Yumi this morning.

"So Kenshin, I was hoping that you could help me to… well... pretend to be my boyfriend for the dinner? I will pay you!" She finally asked.

At the end of the story Kenshin could already guess what did the woman beside him wanted. He was appalled that some Japanese men was still that conservative when it comes to careerwomen and he felt sorry for Kaoru. On the other hand, her drunken speech last night made a hilarious sense to her situation. Kenshin couldn't hold back a chuckle.

"Did you realize that you just asked a janitor to play a role of a smart and rich businessman?" Kenshin asked. Kaoru sighed.

"Yeah. I know, I'm crazy. I can't ask anyone who's close to me. In my world, news travel faster than a jetplane."

"Tell me about it." Kenshin uttered, as if he was able to feel how Kaoru felt right now. He looked at Kaoru and breathed heavily. "You know, Kaoru-san. You don't need to do this. Just show up by yourself and be honest to everyone. You are a great person with or without a boyfriend." He continued, trying to encourage her to drop the idea. Kaoru sighed.

"Yeah, you're right. I think I'm losing my mind. I'm sorry. I love my job, but the drama that comes with it is too much to handle sometimes…" Kaoru said with a helpless smile. Kenshin pressed his lips together, a thought of how cute she looked when she was helpless suddenly came uninvited, randomly. Like last night, and like now.

"Wait." He suddenly said, and Kaoru looked at him. He sighed, mentally berated himself for being weak against the girl he remotely attracted to. "May I have your phone number? I'll give you an answer before Monday afternoon." Kenshin finally said. Kaoru looked at her and smiled gratefully. She took a piece of paper and wrote her numbers. Cell phone numbers, home phone number, and office numbers. Kenshin chuckled seeing that she actually had seven phone numbers.

"Thank you so much for even bothered talking to me. You don't really need to do anything, just talking to you makes my head feels a bit lighter." She said sweetly. Kenshin smiled.

"Hey, I have all of your phone numbers, but I don't even know your full name." He said softly. Kaoru blushed.

"It's Kamiya Kaoru…" She said quietly.

"My name is Himura Kenshin." He replied. Kaoru stood up, bowed and left. Sano looked at her leaving and sat beside his friend.

"Damn, her world is crazy!" Sano commented and Kenshin nodded. Sano looked at his red haired friend and smirked. "Well, you're good at it, so she doesn't really have anything to worry about." He assured Kenshin, patting his shoulder slightly. Kenshin shrugged.

"I'm not even sure whether I want to do it or not."

"Ah, but you will. You can't help it… The beautiful Jou-chan is in trouble, so the knight comes marching in to save her…" Sano said in a sing sang voice.

"I'm not attracted to her whatsoever, Sano." Keshin said slowly, trying not to sound defensive.

"I didn't say you do." Sano replied with a wicked grin. Kenshin sighed tiredly.

"I'm going home. You're alone tonight." Kenshin said while putting the mop back into the storage room and left the bar from the back door.

OOOOO

Weekend was a blur for Kaoru. Megumi and Misao, her two friends back in Japan, called her and asked questions about her ex because, apparently, his stupid ex-boyfriend's family announced his wedding in a Japanese newspaper, in the announcement page beside the obituary. Megumi and Misao called her to ask about this matter but Kaoru didn't want to explain so she told them that they broke up awhile ago.

The whole ordeal hurt Kaoru, but in an unexpected way. She felt more humiliated than broken hearted. She knew that she wasn't deeply in love or something, and she realized that her attraction to Houri was only temporary. The whole weekend she decided to stay at home and watch some TV series rerun while eating a lot of Chinese food, but couldn't help but thinking about Kenshin and Houri. Sometimes she laughed at herself; why the hell a thought about hiring Kenshin as her boyfriend ever crossed her mind?

On Monday, her Boss' secretary was already standing in front of her office, asking for a name. Kaoru didn't give a name; she just told her that her boyfriend wasn't available. The secretary didn't look too happy with her answer; she insisted that she would leave a seat open for Kaoru's boyfriend. Kaoru didn't care anymore, she just wanted to work and forget about the problems.

Just as she entered her office, her cellphone rang. Kaoru jumped and answered the phone.

"Kenshin?" She asked without a hello.

"Uh…" The voice on the phone sounded confused. Kaoru bit her lips and cursed herself inwardly. She was thinking about Kenshin and how stupid her idea was that the name was the first word she blurted out.

"I mean, hello?" She redid the greeting in a more acceptable, elegant way.

"Kaoru-san?" A familiar voice called her reluctantly and Kaoru's eyes widened. So it was Kenshin!

"Kenshin?"

"Ah, yes... I was thinking and uh… I can probably help you… If you still need my help." Kenshin said.

"Huh?"

"Well, I'll try my best to… uh… escort you in the party. I do hope that you can assure that I won't get involved too deeply though. You can't introduce me to too many people." Kenshin explained. Kaoru screamed happily, forgetting the fact that until a second ago she thought that this was a stupid idea.

"REALLY?! Oh God Kenshin, thank you so much! You saved my life!"

"Yeah, uh… Okay then. See you on Friday."

"Kenshin? Wear a suit, okay? You know, that suit you're hiding inside your closet. And fix your hair. Just be… appropriate…" Kaoru reminded him. Kenshin sighed.

"I'm not sure how you could fit a janitor into a high class party." She heard her mumbled quietly before hanging up the phone. Kaoru chuckled, said a quick goodbye and hung up. When she turned around, Yumi was standing in front of her door, staring at her suspiciously.

"Why do you need to remind your boyfriend to wear a suit?" She asked. Kaoru looked at her. She was caught off guard.

"It's not appropriate to eavesdrop, Komagata Yumi-san." She retorted. Yumi stared at her.

"You know, Kaoru. You can probably dress some random guy up in expensive suit and shirt, but you can't change his upbringing. Be careful if you want to lie." She warned Kaoru.

"I didn't lie. You made your own assumptions." Kaoru replied. Yumi smiled and, with one flick on her heels, left Kaoru's office with a runway-ish movement.

Kaoru sighed and bit her lips. Yumi was always going out of her way to mess with Kaoru, and this time she fell into her trap. Maybe she should tell Kenshin to read some books and watch some news...

OOOOO

One day before the party, Kenshin called her. He insisted that if they wanted to do this together, they had to do it right so that they could maintain the chemistry from the get go. He said he would pick her up and they would go to the party together, just like what other couples would do. Kaoru thought that he would probably come with his bicycle and they both would drive to the party using Kaoru's car. She didn't know that Kenshin had a whole different idea in his mind.

Kaoru opened the door when she heard the doorbell. It was Kenshin, looking really hot in his off-white shirt and his black-blue Armani suit, even though Kaoru knew with one glance that the suit was a little too small for him. He was holding a bouquet of flower. Kaoru blushed.

"Thanks for the flower…" She mumbled when Kenshin gave it to her. Kenshin blushed.

"Yeah, I thought… You might like it… It's nothing expensive though." He said with a sheepish grin. Kaoru smiled at his shyness and took a glance of herself in the mirror near his front door.

"So, are you ready to go, Kenshin?" She asked while taking her car key from a bowl full of keys on the counter. Kenshin chuckled and touched her hands, forcing her to put her keys back into the bowl.

"I bring a car." He said while looking at her meaningfully. Kaoru looked at her.

"We can't ride your bicycle." She replied, a little confused. Kenshin laughed.

"I said car, Kaoru." Kaoru blushed. Usually he was so goofy, formal and a little absent minded, but today he looked more confident, carefree and relaxed. Maybe he was just a really good actor.

The car he brought was a Porsche coupe, which made Kaoru thought that he had to use some underhanded methods to get it. Kenshin seemed to realize her concern and told her that he rented it legally and didn't steal it from anyone, which made Kaoru reddened in embarrassment as she retorted that she didn't think of it that way.

When they got into the car, Kaoru didn't feel so weird anymore. Kenshin knew perfectly how to operate everything, and he even seemed so happy and relaxed inside it. The drive went smoothly and they arrived earlier than expected, despite the never ending traffic jam. Kenshin got out of the car and gave the car key along with some tip money smoothly to the valet like he had done it a hundred times before. Kaoru was a bit stunned on how perfect Kenshin turned out to be. Maybe she didn't have to worry about tonight at all.

Kaoru and Kenshin entered the room and saw their Boss talking to Houri and Nakamura. They joined them and she introduced Kenshin as her boyfriend. Houri seemed a bit surprised at Kaoru's speedy recovery. Kaoru went to get a drink for her and Kenshin while the Boss was hogging him, and came back to the sight of her boss laughing out loud, something she had never seen for a long time.

"Kaoru, you made the right decision by dumping Houri for this guy!" He said while patting Kenshin's shoulder. Kaoru smiled and hugged Kenshin's arm, while Houri smiled sourly.

Yumi came in with her new cruise addict boyfriend. Kaoru recognize him instantly as Bill Murray, a young businessman she saw at the front line in some fashion shows. No wonder Yumi was boasting about her boyfriend all the time; Bill was obviously a good catch. Kaoru could only sigh looking at Yumi with her victory smile. Yumi was the exact opposite of her. She was not all hardwork like Kaoru, and sometimes relied on her connections to deal with her problems, but her taste in guys are amazing.

"So, this is Kaoru's infamous boyfriend. I'm Yumi Komagata, Kaoru's ONLY friend in the entire company." She said, practically purring every word while offering her manicured hand. Kaoru forced a smile, while Kenshin turned his attention from the Boss to Yumi.

"Hi. Kenshin Himura, nice to meet you." He shook Bill's hand, and then Yumi's hand with a charming smile. Yumi blushed and Kaoru snickered behind Kenshin's back. Realising that she was losing her cool, Yumi quickly put her sexy smile back onto her face.

"So, Kenshin. Kaoru told me that you graduated from… Some Ivy league university?" Yumi raised her eyesbrows and Kaoru cursed inwardly at her slyness. She never even mentioned anything!

"No... I only came here to work." Kenshin replied. Kaoru gulped, while Yumi smiled sweetly.

"Oh? You graduated from a university in Japan, like she did? Todai, I assume?"

"Ah, no. I was... in Oxford." He replied and Kaoru's face tensed. Yumi chuckled, ready to dig some more.

"Oxford. Right. I happen to have a Japanese friend in Oxford. He's supposed to be in this party. Maybe if I introduce you two, you could reminisce about good old days a little." She said sweetly. Kaoru frowned. Why would a person talked about good old days with someone he didn't know? Yumi was definitely on to her.

"Kenshin, do you know that Oxford is in England?" Kaoru whispered, half sarcastic, half worried, between her teeth. Kenshin chuckled.

"I think I do." Kenshin whispered back with a playfully serious nod. Five minutes later Yumi came back with a tall Japanese guy.

"Here, let me introduce you, this is the heir of the Shinomori family who also went to Oxford." She introduced the guy beside him. Shinomori family was an old family who was respected by everyone in Japan and was internationally famous for their Japanese cultural preservation. Kaoru got really nervous and looked at Kenshin. His eyes were wide in shock and Kaoru thought it was over.

"Aoshi!" Kenshin looked at the tall guy. Aoshi's face changed from a stoic expression into a surprised face.

"Himura Kenshin? Is that you?" He asked. Kenshin and Aoshi smiled at each other, shook hands and shared a quick hug.

"How are you doing? It's been so long!" Kenshin asked him excitedly. Aoshi shrugged.

"Same old. This is odd, remembering how you just disappeared." He said calmly. Kenshin smiled. Yumi and Kaoru's jaw dropped seeing how friendly they were to each other and was speechless for awhile until Kenshin turned around and took Kaoru's hand.

"Aoshi, this is my girlfriend, Kamiya Kaoru. She works for the company and I'm escorting her for the night." He explained, before looking at Kaoru. "Shinomori Aoshi here is an old friend, one of my best friends, even." He continued. Even though it was confusing, Kaoru decided not to ask anything. She bowed formally towards Aoshi. Aoshi bowed and then looked at Kenshin with an indescribable expression.

"Kenshin, you're not…" Aoshi didn't finish his sentence. Kenshin smiled a meaningful smile.

"As I said, I am accompanying the pretty lady here." He replied happily. Aoshi flashed a small smile and looked at Kaoru, who looked confused and shocked at the same time.

"Well, it is nice to meet you, Kamiya-san. It is a pity that I have to go now. Here's my contact, don't hesitate to contact me if you need anything." He said while giving Kenshin and Kaoru his name card. "We'll talk later, Kenshin." He added before shaking everyone's hands and left. Yumi was dumbfounded. What if Kaoru really got a great boyfriend?

The whole night was great for both Kenshin and Kaoru. He blended in quite nicely and everyone, and people seemed to forget the fact that no one have ever heard this supposedly young and successful businessman. His table manner was perfect, his choice of words showed intelligence, and his confident body language made Kaoru believed that she probably took the janitor's sophisticated twin instead of the janitor himself.

Kenshin saw the absent minded Kaoru and squeezed her hands. Kaoru snapped out of her thoughts and turned towards his worried face.

"Are you alright?" Kenshin asked. Ambers were dancing inside his eyes.

"Ah, yeah…" Kaoru nodded as she took a mental note on how beautiful Kenshin's eye colour could be against the candle light. There was something feral about them, like leopard's eyes.

"Do you want to go home? You seemed a bit dazed." Kenshin asked.

"Sure. I feel a bit tired." Kaoru replied. Kenshin smiled and tucked his hand on her waist, leading her to the exit.

Kaoru was still a bit absent minded when Kenshin was driving her home. Kenshin was talking about something but Kaoru didn't really listen. At one point Kenshin stopped talking and Kaoru didn't say anything. Kenshin sighed.

"Are you okay? Did I upset you or something?" Kenshin asked. Kaoru looked at him shook her head.

"Of course not, why are you saying that?" She replied, a little surprised.

"Well, you're so quiet so I thought I did something wrong…"

"It's nothing. I'm just very tired." Kaoru said. She bit her lips and looked at Kenshin. "So, you know Shinomori Aoshi? Wow... How did you know him?" Kaoru asked, trying to make her voice sounded casual instead of a curious old hag. Kenshin chuckled.

"Aoshi is my childhood friend back home. He's from Kyoto, you know. The biggest house in the area." He replied.

"I see… I feel a bit weird back there." Kaoru uttered while looking at him.

"Why?"

"You're too perfect. As if this car, these clothes, and that party were your missing puzzle. You looked too… belonged…" Kaoru confessed.

"I only deliver the best." Kenshin said jokingly, and Kaoru smiled.

"Are you sure you don't want my money?" She asked, and he shook his head.

"I can't accept your money without feeling dirty all over." He replied.

"Pity. If you're a gigolo you can earn a lot you know. You'd be better off going home to Japan and work at a host club." She said, and Kenshin burst out laughing. Kaoru laughed, decided not to ask anymore questions as she felt that he didn't want her to sig deeper.

OOOOO

"Oi Kenshin, you're early." Sano commented when Kenshin got into the bar. He took off his suit and rolled up his sleeves. Sano took a bottle of beer and gave it to him. "Fancy car you got there." He added, looking at the car parked outside through the window and Kenshin chuckled.

"I burned my paycheck to rent that thing for one night. Do you feel like going for a luxury ride? The rent is for twelve hours so we have a long time." He asked, and Sano sniggered.

"You can always reimburse to Jou-chan." He said, and then looked around. "Speaking of Jou-chan, where is she?" He asked.

"She felt sick so I sent her home." Kenshin said with a sigh.

"By the way, Kenshin, we have to go back to Japan." Sano told him with a more serious tone. Kenshin looked at him, tightening the grip on his beer bottle. It was never a good thing if he was summoned to Japan.

"What happened?"

"He got a heart attack."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Kaoru's office problem is actually the problem I faced in the office recently. Oh well, monopoly wins. Haha.

I'm trying to "return" Kenshin and Kaoru to their roots, in Japan, and I have a vague idea how to make the plot more interesting after this, but since I have written about 10 chapters for this title and seem to have forgotten what I wanted to do to this story, I'm still trying to figure out my thoughts and feelings that triggered me to write in the past. I think there will be some grammatical mistakes in this story (even more than before methinks) but I feel like publishing it anyway, coz I'm super tired and occupied this week and publishing the story makes my day a little better. Well I hope you'll enjoy this story :) can't wait to read your reviews!

Update: apparently I loaded the unfinished story. Silly me. This is the new one.

Disclaimer: Standard

XXX

Man-Made Men

XXX

Kenshin got out of the taxi and sighed. It had been awhile since he came back to Tokyo. It was amazing how a place could change a lot in six years. Everything he remembered wasn't there anymore. There were new stores, newly painted buildings, renovated spaces and other things he had never seen before. Then again, he didn't really spend his time sightseeing when he was in Tokyo and he didn't have that many precious memories there. It was a little different with Sano, who spent most of his lifetime in Tokyo. He also looked a little lost, but at least he could figure out his way around.

"There, Kenshin." Sano pointed at a big hospital building before telling the taxi driver to stop. The hospital was in a secluded area just outside of Tokyo. It was a new hospital famous for its state of the art 1st class private ward with maximum security provided for those who could afford the service.

"Good afternoon, how may I help you?" The receptionist lady asked them politely. Kenshin smiled.

"Yes, we are here to see Kakunoshin Ni'itsu." Kenshin informed her. She looked at them, a little surprised, and then quickly typed some stuff into the computer. A minute later, someone who seemed to be her supervisor came and bowed towards the two guys.

"Please allow me to escort you." She said politely. Sano and Kenshin followed her towards a secluded VIP room in the topmost floor. The senior nurse bowed and left after opening the door for the two, revealing a grinning middle aged man.

"Oi, baka-deshi." Kenshin bowed while Sano waved with a silly grin.

"Shishou." Kenshin bowed politely.

"What are you taking, a boat? It takes you nine days to come here from America. What if I'm already dead?" Hiko said with a rough voice. He was lying down on the bed with a drip attached to his vein. His voice was a little sore, and his face was pale, but his smile was still a pompous smirk he usually wore. Sano closed the door as Kenshin took a chair and sat beside Hiko.

"Are you okay, Shishou?" Kenshin asked. Hiko smirked.

"Am I that important until you come out of your hiding just to visit me? After all, it's been ten years…" He asked, and Kenshin sighed. "You should have come sooner if you're that worried." He added.

"Plane tickets are expensive..."

"He's cheap. He insisted on waiting for his apartment deposit before coming back here." Sano pointed out, looking at the redhead, and Hiko laughed.

"So you've released your apartment, boy? Have you come to your senses and come back to me?"

"Well... I'm thinking about staying in Japan for a few weeks before heading out to Berlin. Just until the doctors allowed you to go home." Kenshin told Hiko. Hiko and Sano looked at him, surprised.

"What, Berlin? How come I didn't know about this?" Sano asked. Kenshin grinned.

"Oh, I was just thinking about it yesterday. I have enough money for a one way ticket to Berlin. I will find some jobs here and there to keep me busy until my next departure," said Kenshin innocently with a happy face. "It pays off to wait for that deposit money to cash in." He added with a silly grin. Both Sano and Hiko looked at him, annoyed.

"Whack him for me." Hiko ordered and Sano hit Kenshin on the head.

"Ororoo…"

"Boy! That feels nice." Sano commented, satisfied. Hiko looked at Kenshin with a grim face.

"After all these years you're still being a little boy, running away from your problems…" He spoke with a low tone. Kenshin looked at him with a solemn face, but then quickly put on a smile on his face.

"Gomen." He said amicably, and Hiko sighed.

"Well, now that you're here, I have some errands for you to do." Hiko grabbed a pen and a paper and began to note down some stuff for Kenshin. Kenshin took the paper.

"This…" He looked at the paper blankly and looked at his master. Hiko only yawned at his reaction.

"I'm going to get some rest now. Get out, you two…"

OOOOO

Kaoru sighed, looking at her phone for the hundredth time. It wasn't like she was waiting, but she had secretly hoped for Kenshin to call her. She felt that being with him had softened her edged attitude a little. Kenshin was nice, he was fun to talk to and he was very considerate of her, she felt that she didn't have to put her guard up when she was around him. She let her heart skipped a beat when he smiled, and she let her mind filled with him when he wasn't around.

It was as if she fell for him.

"Mou..." Kaoru shook her head. Of course she didn't mind being with anyone, no matter what their jobs were. Her society was the one who put standards in everything, even in a matter as private as love. Unlike the old king and queen story where a princess would be banished for being in love with a pauper, she obviously wouldn't lose her job over something like that. The society she lived in was full of people with a nice smile at the front but twisted mind inside. Rather than an instant banishment, the process would happen slowly, the society would chew in and spit out every single organism which deemed to be cancerous, and eventually she, if she chose to date a mere janitor, would get thrown out as well.

She sighed. She knew the world was hypocritical but she wasn't ready to leave it just yet. Even so, she couldn't resist reaching to her phone and dialed his number. Apparently, the phone was no longer active. Kaoru frowned. Maybe the two guys were in trouble?

It was already night time so she decided to call the bar, hoping that the two guys had started their shift. After a few rings, a grumpy voice that was neither Sano nor Kenshin picked up the phone.

"Hello, is Kenshin or Sanosuke there?"

"They're not working here anymore." The grumpy voice answered as if her call was a waste of his time.

"Oh... Do you know where they are, or a number I can call?" She asked again.

"Dunno. They said something about going back to Tokyo." He answered, and grunted. "I'm busy, if you're not gonna give me some business, don't call." and with that he hung up.

Kaoru immediately felt a little empty. They were going back to Japan without telling her? Then again, why would they tell her, someone who only knew them for three weeks, anyway?

"I guess I thought we're friends..." She muttered to herself between her sigh.

She sat on her chair and her eyes stumbled upon the shirt she borrowed, neatly hung beside her door. Come to think of it, she hadn't had a chance to return it even though Kenshin personally delivered her clothes that she left behind at his place and refused her money even though she insisted on paying the laundry fee.

"How the hell am I going to return this?" She wondered out loud as she stared absentmindedly at the shirt. Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud knock on her already opened door.

"Kaoru, meeting." Yumi knocked loudly and called from behind the door.

"Right. Coming." Kaoru answered, cursing inwardly for forgetting the meeting. She sighed and gathered up some documents that might be needed.

Meetings in the evening were very rare, and only happened when something was really wrong, even though this time both Yumi and Kaoru didn't really screw up on anything. And these night meetings were the only place Kaoru and Yumi would call a truce and worked hand in hand. They looked at each other as they walked towards the meeting room; it wasn't the time to stab each other's back, because one person's mistake could cause a great damage to the other's reputation. They both went into the meeting room and saw that the older men were already waiting for them. Right after they sat on their seats, their boss stood up and threw the report on the table.

"We own these brands! Why can't we do things our way?"

"Well, the distribution license for Asia is owned by a company in Hong Kong, and they distribute the products for all the stores in East Asia. All the factories are over there, anyway." Kaoru said quietly. He snorted.

"It's written there in the report, Kaoru, and I read the thing. I dont need you to repeat it to me like I'm a toddler. What I can't accept is that this is a new collaboration line! New series of product that doesn't actually have anything to do with the actual brand!" The business consultants looked at each other.

"Well it's an unspoken agreement that all of the high end products production and distribution license goes to-"

"Is it written?" The boss cut him in and asked him with a sharp tone.

"Uh…" Kaoru looked at Yumi, who fidgeted in her chair as well.

"THEN?!"

"They can pressure the government and the media and they will make sure that our image wil hurt so bad we won't be able to sell a thing in Asia for at least the next ten years..." Yumi explained with a nervous voice. "Maybe we should get friendly with those people. Show them that working with us will be beneficial for them?" Yumi continued, even though her voice was hesitant.

"We can convince them to leave the annoying stuff, like parties, luncheon, and promotions, to us." Kaoru added, and the boss seemed to like the idea.

"If we play the cards right, we can steal the spotlight!" He concluded and Kaoru nodded. "Okay, then, we need a clear concept. What do we offer to them?"

"Fashion shows, media luncheon and press conferences are a given." Yumi said toughtfully.

"Social media involvement from famous Asian celebrities and artists is important too." Kaoru said. "We need a city as our base. Somewhere chic and trendy."

"Shanghai?"

"Hongkong would be best."

"Seoul is the rising star right now!"

Opinions were thrown in once Yumi and Kaoru got the discussion going. The tension in the room seemed to disperse a little, and Kaoru allowed herself to lean back and catch her breath a little. Her thoughts immediately shifted towards the amicable janitor.

 _What is he doing right now?_ She thought, and then looked at her colleagues who were still discussing the matter. A thought suddenly cross her mind.

"What about... Tokyo?" She blurted out, and the boss frowned.

"Tokyo is... outdated, don't you think so?" He asked, and Kaoru shook her head.

"Sure, Japanese celebrities aren't as famous as the Korean ones nowadays, but the artists are world class! If you want I can prepare a presentation on what we can do in Tokyo for the brand." She explained, and her boss nodded.

"Okay, I'll give you one day to develop the plan. We need to act quickly." He said. He looked at Yumi. "If the plan goes smoothly, you'll have to go to Japan." He said to her. Yumi was about to say something before Kaoru cut her.

"I need to be in Japan too. I want to oversee this project. I'm the real Japanese who has actually worked in Japanese fashion scene before." She said, and the whole room looked at her weirdly. She never asked to be placed in a project like this, and she never looked so desperate like this. Even Kaoru herself realised that she had an ulterior motives for forcing this project.

"Okay, you'll be responsible with this project if your presentation gets an okay from the higher-ups. Yumi will assist you there as well." He looked at them with piercing eyes. Kaoru nodded, almost unable to hide her happy face, while Yumi pouted.

After another scolding session, they were finally dismissed. Kaoru and Yumi left the meeting room a little tired, slowly making their way into their respective offices. Yumi looked at Kaoru and sighed.

"So, as always, you're in charge of the important stuff." She said. Kaoru shrugged lightly.

"Just my luck." She replied calmly with a shrug. Yumi looked at her with an annoyed expression.

"Funny. I've never seen you so... eager." She said with a suspecting voice, and Kaoru looked away, trying to hide her warmed up face.

"It's a great career opportunity." She replied to her calmly. Yumi sighed.

"By the way, I'm going to stay at my boyfriend's mansion in Japan. What about you? Kenshin's place?" She asked.

"Nope. I have my parent's house in Tokyo."

"Be sure to bring Kenshin to the parties, though. I'll be waiting." She said with an exaggerated sweetness before leaving Kaoru behind and went back to her office.

Kaoru closed the door of her office and inhaled, calming herself down.

"Damn." She whispered to herself before taking out a bottle of whisky from her cupboard.

She sometimes allowed herself to drink on the job, especially after doing something so bold like this for a petty personal reason.

OOOOO

Shibuya was a little too crowded, especially with high school teenagers being loudand rather annoying. Megumi and Misao, however, managed to find a quiet restaurant where all the older people seek refugee from the loud teenagers on the street. Some were eating their late lunch alone; some were meeting their friends, colleagues, and even lovers. A lot of them waited around for their take out because, even if it was for a late lunch, they didn't have the time to sit around and enjoy the cozy restaurant atmosphere. Megumi was a doctor at the small community clinic, and Misao was a kenpo instructor, so both of them didn't have a reason to rush around like others. They sat there and looked at each other without word. Misao sighed as she played around with her spaghetti.

"Ne, Megumi-san… I'm worried about Kaoru-chan…" Megumi put down her fork and shrugged.

"It's been two weeks since we last heard from her, right? She didn't call back when we called her. I wonder what had happened? I think it's because of Houri."

"But she said she's okay!" Misao replied with a worried face.

"Should we visit the doujo? It's been awhile, and maybe the brat knows what happened to her." Megumi suggested. Misao nodded.

After lunch, Megumi drove both of them to the doujo. The gate wasn't locked because ther would be a class starting soon, but the two women didn't see anyone inside. Suddenly they heard a terrified scream.

"GYAAAAHHHHH! IT'S BUSU'S GHOOOOSSSTTT!" Screamed a voice that sounds half alto, half falsetto (because of puberty…?). Megumi and Misao ran inside to see Yahiko, still in his school uniform, lying on the floor with swirly eyes, and Kaoru, holding a bokken with an angry glare.

"Who's the BUSU, YAHIKO- _CHAN_! AND WHY ARE YOU HOME AT THIS TIME? YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE AT SCHOOL!" Kaoru screamed at him and pouched him again. Misao and Megumi looked at her, shocked as hell.

"OH MY GOD! YOU'RE HOME!" They shrieked and ran towards her. Kaoru looked at little shocked as well.

"Megumi-san! Misao-chan!" The three girls hugged, and Kaoru even got a little teary, thinking that it had been awhile since all of them saw each other.

"You didn't tell me you're coming home! Oh my God! When did you arrive?" Misao shouted. Kaoru grinned.

"I arrived early in the morning, when Yahiko was still at school. I was going to surprise you both, but now I'm the one who's surprised…" She said. Megumi frowned.

"Come on, we were shocked as well. Look at Yahiko! He's practically having nightmares about you now…" She pointed Yahiko who were lying on the floor like his life had been sucked out if his body. Kaoru grinned widely and hugged her.

"I seriously miss you both!" She said sweetly. Megumi smiled and patted her back.

"Okaeri nasai Kaoru-chan…"

Megumi prepared some snacks while Misao made some tea and Kaoru sat around in the living room. Kaoru felt so relaxed as soon as she smelled the old wood of her traditional-style house. She dropped her body on the tatami-covered floor and rolled around, feeling the comfortable tatami against her skin. She liked her luxurious condo in New York, but nothing beats home. No Yumi, no Houri, no dramas, just her and the empty doujo.

"This feels good…" She muttered under hear breath. Megumi and Misao grinned as they entered the room.

"Good to know that you actually miss Japan." Kaoru pouted.

"I miss Japan every single day." She said with a big sigh. Megumi and Misao sat and began to munch on the snack.

"So, why do you come home all of the sudden?" Misao asked.

"I have a job to do here. I'll be staying for at least two months!"

"So, how come you didn't tell us about Houri?" Megumi asked. Kaoru shrugged with an innocent smile.

"Dunno." She answered. Megumi and Misao looked at each other.

"Oh no. Don't tell me, he gave you the same excuses."

"Pretty much, yeah. I wonder why these guys dated me in the first place if they were intimidated by me. Well, Houri's girl… She's pregnant anyway. What would I do, separate them and make the child fatherless?"

"You should tell us earlier you know…" said Megumi a little upset. Kaoru smiled and bowed playfully.

"Gomen nasaaai…"

"But, how did you get your closure so fast, Kaoru-chan?" Misao asked. Kaoru blushed.

"Ah that, Kenshin was…"

" _Kenshin_?" Misao and Megumi asked in unison. Kaoru blushed.

"Ah, a guy I met at the bar. He helped me get through it."

"A bar? That's stupid!" Misao said. Kaoru grinned.

"Right? Well, it was stupid, but… It was what I needed. Funny thing is, I don't care about how a janitor woul-"

"Janitor?" asked Megumi.

"Kenshin is a janitor in that bar. Oh, by the way, I heard he's here in Japan. From the looks of it, he just abandoned everything and left. I hope he's not getting into a trouble or something." Kaoru said lightly. Megumi's eyes almost popped out.

"Kaoru-chan!" scolded Megumi, and Kaoru pouted. Misao giggled.

"There's a story behind all this!" Kaoru defended herself and began telling them the whole story. By the end of the story, Megumi and Misao were even less convinced about Kaoru's (poor) choices.

"Are you sure that he's not involved in some kind of mischievous act?" Megumi asked with a frown.

"Ooh, maybe the Porsche is stolen! Maybe we should investigate this guy! Let's let's let's investigate!" Misao said excitedly. Kaoru laughed.

"I wonder if I could meet him again?" Kaoru asked. "I got so worked up about his disappearance that I actually forced a project that would take me back here."

"Hmm... You were never this desperate, not even for Houri." Megumi pointed out, and Kaoru smiled sheepishly.

"It's stupid. I acted like a teenager in love. The more I think about it the stupider I felt. Tokyo is big, it's not like I can meet him even if I'm here. Even if I met him again, I don't know what I would do." She said. She sighed before continuing, "actually, even though I like him a lot, it's not like I have to be with him no matter what. I'd be happy with just a drink and a conversation if we happened to meet again."

Megumi snorted. "You have a disgustingly pure intention…" she said.

"I am a pure girl at heart." Kaoru retaliated with a grin.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Standard

AN: The new chapter of Man-made men! I have nothing to say abt this chapter, it's more like a bridge between New York and Tokyo. Some of you might think COINCIDENCE?! But you'd be surprised how many times I ran to an old friend in restauranst. Lol. Yes I'm being defensive. Anyway I hope you can enjoy the story, don't forget to review!

XXX

Man-made Men

XXX

Kenshin sighed as he looked at his cell phone. Since this morning, Sano had been calling him like non-stop, and at one point he knew that he just needed to stop receiving his calls. He decided to turn off his phone for the rest of the afternoon so that he could concentrate what he was doing. It had been awhile since he was in Japan, and roaming around alone in Tokyo could be a little tricky. Besides, for the past few days Hiko made him ran around the town doing stupid errands and he was dead tired.

That day, Hiko was giving him a lot of things to do so there he was, standing at the bus stop with a piece of paper with his to-do list and a town guide he got from the train station, looking like a clueless tourist.

He let out more sigh as he skimmed over the piece of paper Hiko gave him when he visited two weeks ago. Hiko had been whiny about how slow he was doing the errands, while Kenshin's attention was divided between taking care of Hiko and apartment hunting. He found a cheap place to stay, which basically was a crack den, but he didn't have that much cash on him so he decided to take the place while Sano was gone to visit his family in Nagano.

He read the list and frowned. Sukiyaki from Akabeko? Was Hiko even allowed to eat fatty beef after a heart attack?

"Akabeko…" He muttered, a little clueless, while opening a tourist guide book. He had never been to Akabeko before, but he knew that the restaurant was one of the most famous tourist attractions in town. He found the information about Akabeko and the bus that could take him there.

In his boredom of waiting for the bus, he started to think about random stuff. He remembered about his "diamond shirt" and then he remembered Kaoru.

He called her two or three days after his arrival in Japan to inform her than he and Sano didn't work at the bar anymore, but she didn't pick up her phone. Her secretary said that she was sent abroad to work on some kind of fashion line premiere and that she might not be back at least for another month.

Even then, for some reason, he still left a message on her answering machine. A long, babbling message. He felt so stupid now for doing so. Kaoru was probably in Paris or Milan or some other fashionable European cities, and they might never see each other again. She was probably okay with it; losing one or two janitor-friend wouldn't affect her life.

"Never see her again…" He mumbled his thoughts sighed. Somehow, the thought disappointed him a little.

Soon, the bus stopped right in front of him and he got in.

OOOOO

Kaoru was up quite late that day. It was her precious break and she decided to visit her old friend, Tae. Tae owned a big sukiyaki restaurant, apparently one of the first sukiyaki restaurants established during the Meiji period. It was still very famous now, especially for tourists and foreigners. Tae worked hard to preserve the old building model of restaurant and turned it into some kind of a semi-museum restaurant. Even now the restaurant was still looked like what it was more than a hundred years ago, only bigger, with some modern equipment. Even with modern stove, she insisted to keep some of the old, traditional stove and cooking appliances. Everything in the restaurant seemed to attract more tourists, and Tae was always more than happy to show them around the restaurant. Kaoru had always admired her willpower and her ability to sense a business opportunity.

She went straight to the city and parked just around the corner, before the restaurant. She saw Tae was busy with some customers, so she decided to sit somewhere in a corner, close to the entrance. Soon, Tae came running with menu books on her hands.

"Welco- OH MY GOD! KAORU-CHAAAN!" She threw away the menus and jumped at her. She hugged Kaoru and Kaoru hugged her back. Tsubame, Tae's adopted sister, came out and to check on them, and was surprised to see Kaoru. Kaoru went and hugged her and she smiled shyly, returning the hug with an adorable squeeze.

"Oh my god! You've grown! How are you and Yahiko?" Kaoru asked. Tsubame blushed and mumbled something like "there's nothing between us…" and some other stuff. Kaoru grinned, while Tsubame bowed and left the place to serve other customers. Tae, on the other hand, sat beside Kaoru with a big smile on her face.

"I can't believe you're here. Look at you! You look great!" she commented happily. Kaoru grinned.

"You look good as well, Tae-san. So how's married life treating you?" asked Kaoru. Tae smiled. She got married a year ago, but Kaoru wasn't there to attend the wedding. Her husband was a journalist called Katsu whom Kaoru never met before. But from Tae's stories, he seemed to be a nice person and they were so happy together.

"Well, we're actually trying to have a baby since the married life is becoming more stable. I just hope Katsu would stop criticizing the government because I don't want him to go to jail when I'm pregnant with his child." She sighed and Kaoru laughed. Soon, Tsubame came back with a big plastic bag on her hands.

"Ano, Tae-oneesan… I forgot who ordered these take-aways…" She showed the plastic bags to Tae with a worried face. Tae looked around.

"God, I don't remember either… Did you ask the front waiter?"

"I did, but he said you were the one who took the order while he was in the toilet…" Tae stood up and looked around. She checked the receipt and looked at Tsubame.

"Oh, I think the ones who ordered these were that guy, the one with the red hair…" She told Tsubame.

 _Red hair?_ Kaoru's ears perked up. She turned around to look at the entrance, and saw Tsubame talking with a guy. She gasped and stood up.

"Kenshin!"

The red haired man almost dropped the plastic bags.

"Kaoru-san?"

Tsubame and Tae looked at each other, clueless.

OOOOO

Kaoru and Kenshin sat together in a more secluded area of the restaurant. Kenshin still looked a little surprised, while Kaoru was quiet even though she felt her heart was beating faster. She didn't know that she was going to find him this soon.

"I didn't know you're here…" Kenshin said, his hand is playing with his clay teacup. Kaoru stared at his hands.

"I... uh..." She bit her lips. It was pure coincidence that they met in this restaurant. It wasn't like she had been making an effort to find him, even though she did feel a little stalker-ish because the half of the reason she was pushing Tokyo for the launching was because she heard Kenshin came back to Japan. "My friend owns this restaurant." She finally answered, and Kenshin smiled.

"I mean, I thought you're working on some brand launching…?"

"How do you know?"

"I called your office to tell you that I'm not working at the bar anymore." He said, a faint blush coloured his cheek. Kaoru looked at Kenshin with a smile, a little happy by the fact that he called.

"The event is here, in Tokyo. It's quite a pressure, because I haven't been around for awhile here. I don't know the latest trends; I don't know the hottest places and such… There are going to be a lot of famous people in the parties, and all of the influential families are invited. You know, Shinomori family, Toyota family, Yukishiro family, HIgashidani family…"

Kenshin almost dropped his tea cup. Thankfully, he regained his cool in a split second, before Kaoru noticed anything.

"Ah… The powerful families…" he commented. "Aoshi will be there too, then." He added and Kaoru nodded with a smile.

"Hopefully… I heard he's not that sociable. What about you, Kenshin? What are you doing here?" she asked. Kenshin smiled.

"Actually the person who took care of me since I was a kid got a heart attack." He explained. Kaoru looked at him, worried.

"Is he alright?"

"He's okay… I'm buying the sukiyaki for him." He grinned while showing the plastic bags to Kaoru. Kaoru frowned.

"Is it okay to eat fatty stuff after that?" she asked reluctantly. Kenshin shrugged and looked at his watch. He took his pen and wrote something down on a napkin.

Oh, I have to go now. He's waiting for me. He's still in the hospital, so until he's perfectly okay I will be staying in Japan. Just call me if you need anything." He said while giving her the napkin with his number written there. Kaoru smiled and nodded.

"I'll call to return your shirt." She said, and Kenshin chuckled.

"You have my shirt here?" He asked, and Kaoru blushed.

"No! Yes... I mean, I really like that shirt so..." She said while blushing. "That was not me asking you to give up that shirt to me." She added quickly and Kenshin laughed.

"Oh really... I don't mind if you keep it. It's too small for me anyway." He said between his laugh and Kaoru pouted.

"Mou! You're just teasing me!" She said with mock annoyance, but then laughed together with him.

Kenshin smiled. "You look relaxed." He said, and Kaoru grinned.

"Really? I'm pretty nervous." She said. "A big event in my own city, with these famous people I've never met before... But I guess I did meet Shinomori Aoshi last time in that party we went!" She said with a grin. Kenshin looked at her and looked at his drink, as if contemplating about something.

"I've been thinking." Kenshin said, and Kaoru looked at him. "If you need an escort to the parties, I'd be more than happy to accompany you again. You can call me if you feel like it." He said with a small smile. Kaoru looked a bit surprised. She was actually going to ask Kenshin again, but she was afraid that Kenshin would refuse. Who knew that Kenshin would actually propose the idea himself?

"I'd love to, Kenshin. I will call you about this then!" said her. Kenshin smiled, and then looked at his watch.

"Well, someone's waiting for these beef." He said. He stood up and smiled. "I'll see you later, I guess." He nodded politely and left.

As soon as he left the restaurant, Tae and Tsubame appeared out of nowhere with Tae grinned meaningfully.

"Who was that cute redhead?"

"Kenshin. He was a friend from America. He's here visiting someone."

"A friend? You guys looked quite close to me…" Tae said. Kaoru blushed.

"Mou! Tae-san! It's not like that at all!" Tae sighed.

"I heard about Houri from Megumi and Misao. You deserve to be happy, Kaoru-chan." She said. Kaoru smiled.

"I'm happy enough now, as long as I have you, Megumi-san and Misao-chan, I'll be okay." Tae smiled at her sweet words, but then sighed.

"You'll still need a man, trust me."

Kaoru only shrugged and started eating, too lazy to disagree with her friend.

OOOOO

Kenshin watched as Hiko opened the sukiyaki box and took a pair of wooden chopsticks from it. The delicious smell filled up the hospital room and Kenshin could hear his grumbling stomach. He didn't eat at Akabeko back then because he didn't have that kind of money to spend just for a piece of beef. He sighed quietly as Hiko started to put the meat into his mouth with a blissful expression in his face.

"Where's my sake?"

"Shishou, you're not supposed to drink sake. You're still recovering." Kenshin answered. Hiko snorted.

"What's the difference? We're all going to die anyway…"

Kenshin looked at him with a faint smile. He understood very well that no matter how hard they tried to avoid it, death will come, but he sure hoped that it wasn't his Shishou's time yet.

"Anything else I can do for you?" he asked. Hiko frowned.

"You haven't even finished the whole list yet, and you're asking for more?" he asked back. Kenshin looked at the paper. Everything was crossed out other than the two last errands.

"I'm on it, Shishou." He replied, sighing as he crumpled the piece of paper into a ball and shoved it in his pocket.

"Good boy." Hiko answered with a satisfied smile.

"I have to get going." He stood up and bowed. Hiko cleared his throat.

"Baka Deshi…"

Kenshin turned around.

"… I can't give you your happiness. You have to find it yourself." Kenshin looked at Hiko. He always knew that no one could help him but himself. He had to do everything himself.

He smiled calmly at his Shishou and left the room quietly.


End file.
